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Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences 1 Mr Darryl David asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs regarding the 14 online social media posts which seemingly targeted the Indian community and undermined Singapore's multiculturalism (a) whether investigations have revealed the posts to be a coordinated and deliberate effort by any particular agency or organisation; and (b) if so, what action has been or will be taken against such agency or organisation.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences 2 Dr Neo Kok Beng asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the Disabling Directions recently issued to block online posts targeting the Indian community (a) whether the Ministry will consider reviewing the current national framework and tools to counteract such external influences; and (b) what upcoming programmes or initiatives are being planned to equip residents with the competencies to discern such negative external influences, whether individually or through community efforts.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Mr Speaker, with your permission, my response will cover oral Question Nos 1 and 2 on today's Order Paper, and will also address a related question filed by Ms Hany Soh1 for a later Sitting. If the Member is satisfied with the response, she may wish to withdraw the question after this session.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Please proceed.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Thank you. There is currently no evidence to suggest that this is a coordinated campaign by any particular government or organisation. Investigations revealed that the content likely originated from a China-based platform, and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites, including those in our local information space.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences The posts attempted to sow discord by inciting ill-will against our Indian community and sought to undermine Singapore’s model of multiculturalism. The content was assessed to constitute to an offence of knowingly promoting feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different groups on grounds of race and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony in Singapore under section 298A(a) of the Penal Code. The Government has issued Disabling Directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) to block access by Singapore users to the 14 online social media posts.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences In recent years, there has been an increase in artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled and inauthentic content on a range of topics which has seeped into Singapore’s online infospace. We monitor the infospace closely and will not hesitate to take measures if it is in Singapore’s interests.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences The Government regularly reviews our laws to ensure that they are updated and fit for purpose to deal with the evolving landscape.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Aside from the legislative measures, building up a discerning and resilient populace against external influences is equally important. The Ministry of Defence drives National Education and Total Defence to build a shared understanding of Singapore's foundational values and principles to deepen our public's sense of identity and nationhood, and to strengthen awareness of and collective resolve against threats that may undermine social cohesion and resilience, including foreign interference. The SG101 website is a one-stop Government site that consolidates educational resources on foreign interference, as well as Singapore's positions on sensitive issues to help the public better understand our national positions and to stay resilient against attempts to divide us.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences The National Library Board works to cultivate critical reading as a foundational skill and to engage the public through its Source, Understand, Research, and Evaluate (S.U.R.E) programme, and this equips our citizens with the skills to verify and fact-check online content.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences In addition, we regularly conduct briefings, dialogues and workshops to raise awareness of foreign interference amongst groups including our public servants, national servicemen and students. The Ministry of Home Affairs also rolled out a campaign in 2025 on the use of deepfake videos, AI-generated content and other inauthentic online posts to influence overseas jurisdictions to alert Singaporeans to this threat. This effort will continue, so as to raise awareness of the role that our Singaporeans can play.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Ultimately, a discerning population is the most important defence against attempts to influence or divide our society. We urge Singaporeans to be discerning when consuming and disseminating information online, and to reject all attempts to divide our society.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences We take a serious view of threats to our social cohesion and racial harmony, including external actors, and will act resolutely against them.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Mr David.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Mr Speaker, Sir, just have two supplementary questions. While it is heartening to know that there have been no evidence of external influence in this case, I would like to ask if the Government does indeed keep track of possible cases that fuel the possible coordinated efforts of organisations and agencies that may not be made so public and if so, are such cases on the rise?
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences The second question would be, if these cases show evidence also of the influence of state actors, what actions would our Government typically take?
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences I would like to thank the Member for his questions. Specifically, like I said in my response earlier, we have noticed an increase in the number of such posts, especially given the use of AI enabling the creation of such posts. So, we do see an increase and we do track very carefully every single case, including investigating whether there are possibly state actors behind the posts.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Some of this information, we may not find that it is suitable to release to the public, but we do look at every single case. We track the data over time to ensure that there is no coordinated campaign. More importantly, we will not hesitate to take action if there is a need to protect Singapore's interests.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Ultimately, we hold the view that any country out there would agree with us that we are just safeguarding our information space. And if we are interested in protecting our social cohesion – and we are – they will agree with us that such content is unacceptable and that the stance that we have taken is totally understandable.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Dr Neo.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister of State for the reply. Our current framework of preventing external influences is primarily based on a couple of Acts or laws: the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (or FICA), the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and also OCHA.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences These are, in the view of our population, pretty much reactive in nature. I believe there are also proactive measures. The population looks at it as what we do after the events have happened. The question is, how effective are they and how do we measure this effectiveness? Is the Ministry exploring more preventive measures compared to these slightly more reactive measures? What are the programmes or initiatives that are preventive in nature and again, how effective are they? Specifically, how to educate or train or inoculate our residents from believing or disseminating such malicious influence?
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences Mr Speaker, allow me to reiterate my response to the Members' questions. The Government had to act decisively against these videos because they seek to undermine Singapore's cohesion, and they seek to attack our multi-racial society and attempt to divide us based on our race. Our societal harmony cannot be taken for granted because it has been painstakingly developed over decades and every community in Singapore is valued. Everyone has our equal place.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences This diversity in Singapore's fabric is our greatest strength, but it requires deliberate and constant protection against division. These videos strike at the very foundation of what makes Singapore home for all of us. That is why the Government acted firmly against these videos, especially also because they originated from a foreign source. We must reject all attempts that seek to divide us.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences The Member asked about proactiveness and effectiveness. He also mentioned that we do have various Acts in place. Yes, I would like to reiterate that the Government has various legislative levers, some more recently introduced, in place to deal with such threats. These include FICA, the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, POFMA, as well as OCHA. These are a range of levers that allow us to be able to act decisively should any such narrative or attempt to divide us arise.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences I want to make the point that having these laws allows us to be very proactive, going upstream to demonstrate that we not only have the laws and that we are also willing to exercise these laws to protect our citizens and our social fabric before our racial harmony is affected. Our online directions under FICA were first issued or first used in July 2024. We have also used other various online directions under OCHA. They have been generally effective as the social media companies have worked with us and complied with the directions issued by the Government. Of course, we will from time to time continue to review the laws to ensure that they are fit for purpose, to continue to be proactive in this space.
Probe into Social Media Posts that Targeted Singapore's Indian Community and Review of National Framework to Counter Such External Influences In my main reply earlier, I have also listed various efforts in terms of public education. I would like to reiterate that a discerning public is the most effective tool to fight against such for interferences to split our society. Every incident that has happened is also a potential learning opportunity that we will use to educate our public to fight such division efforts.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects 3 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the Speak Mandarin Campaign's current stated policy objectives; (b) whether the Ministry will review the campaign's continued application to locally screened dialect films, given that over-the-top and social media platforms do not carry the same restriction; and (c) whether the Ministry has assessed whether mandatory Mandarin dubbing of dialect films has any measurable effect on the campaign.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects 4 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Ministry’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Speak Mandarin Campaign includes any indicators of the campaign’s impact on the use and transmission of Chinese dialects; and (b) if not, how does the Ministry track whether dialects remain in active use, in view of the position that dialects are part of Singapore’s cultural heritage.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects 5 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Ministry has reviewed if the Speak Mandarin Campaign framing remains suited to today’s conditions; and (b) whether the Ministry will evolve its approach so that promoting Mandarin no longer comes at the expense of preserving Chinese dialects as heritage.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects Mr Speaker, my response will address Question Nos 3 to 5 by Mr Cai Yinzhou and Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan on the Speak Mandarin Campaign in today’s Order Paper.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects Sir, Question Nos 6 to 12 on today's Order Paper addresses the use of dialects in films. The two sets of questions, while distinct, are related. So, may I seek your permission to allow the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) to provide the answers to Question Nos 6 to 12, before the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and MDDI address any supplementary questions that Members may have? Members may be better informed after hearing both sets of responses and that might give better clarity to our discussions.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects Yes, you may. Please proceed.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects The Speak Mandarin Campaign was launched in 1979. By promoting a common language across the Chinese community, it helps Chinese Singaporeans from different dialect backgrounds to communicate with one another and it preserves access to the Chinese culture through Mandarin, rather than through separate dialects.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects By simplifying the linguistic environment, it also gives our bilingual policy the best chance to succeed. These objectives remain valid today.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects The Promote Mandarin Council, which comprises distinguished private and public individuals across all different sectors who are volunteers, regularly reviews the campaign to keep its framing, approach and objectives relevant and meaningful in Singapore's multicultural context. It is important to do so as the language environment continues to evolve.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects Singapore families are using English more at home and much as our young want to be better at Mandarin, the opportunities to do so may be insufficient. So, hence the campaign has evolved from promoting Mandarin as a common language, to strengthening their appreciation for our Singapore Chinese cultural identity and making the learning of Mandarin fun and enjoyable. Its current tag line, "讲华语，我也可以"，or "Speak Mandarin? Yes, I can", encourages everyone to learn Mandarin even as English becomes more dominant in daily life.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects In education, the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education are setting aside more curriculum time to expose young Chinese students to Mandarin. For older students, we provide opportunities to those with the aptitude and interest to develop into bicultural talents. It is a challenging task and our Chinese teachers are working very hard. We will continue to do our best to continue to uphold the bilingual policy.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects As the use of English continues to displace mother tongues, the use of dialects in Singapore, has continued to decline. We increasingly see dialect artistic materials, not as competing against the use of Mandarin, but as part of our heritage and cultural practices that deepen Singaporeans' appreciation of our cultural heritage. Hence, the National Arts Council supports arts groups that practises traditional forms of dialect cultures such as the Siong Leng Musical Association, which preserves Nanyin and Nam Hwa Opera, the Teochew opera group. The National Heritage Board recognises and supports practitioners and groups that transmit Chinese dialect culture. Clan associations, such as the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan or the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan and Hainan Hwee Kuan also conduct regular dialect classes for interested Singaporeans.
Review of Speak Mandarin Campaign and Stance on Chinese Dialects Our linguistic diversity and heritage are distinctive parts of Singapore Chinese culture. The Government welcomes ideas to preserve dialect cultures while upholding the importance of Mandarin. We will continue to take in feedback and we will work with the community to consider carefully what further steps are appropriate to support and to promote our distinctive Singapore Chinese culture within our multicultural society.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 6 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what considerations led to the original decision to permit limited screenings of the film “Dear You” in its original Teochew version rather than subtitled wider screenings; and (b) what factors will guide the Ministry’s more flexible approach towards permitting future dialect film screenings.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 7 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry will review the Film Classification Guidelines to allow Chinese dialect films, including the film “Dear You,” to have a general commercial release with their original audio instead of restricting them to niche screenings; (b) why foreign language films face no equivalent linguistic audio restrictions; and (c) whether the historical rationale for mandatory Mandarin dubbing remains relevant to Singapore.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 8 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry will abolish the guideline that Chinese films for general release be in Mandarin and allow dialect films on general release in their original dialect with subtitles; and (b) whether the Speak Mandarin Campaign rationale for the guideline still applies, given that dialect use at home has fallen below 12%.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 9 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the framework for classifying dialect language films for general release includes any assessment of Intangible Cultural Heritage value; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will work with the National Heritage Board to incorporate such an assessment.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 10 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what factors are taken into account in Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) decision for the film "Dear You" to be dubbed in Mandarin for general screening instead of the original Teochew version; (b) whether heritage and cultural preservation value formed part of the assessment; and (c) whether IMDA will consider giving greater weight to heritage and cultural preservation value in future assessments.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 11 Dr Neo Kok Beng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information whether the Ministry will consider reviewing its policy to liberalise or abolish its language requirements with respect to Chinese dialects for media such as films and theatre, since the bilingual policy has reduced the use of dialects to less than 0.8% of Chinese households.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release 12 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what is the percentage of households that primarily speak Chinese dialects at home today as compared to 1979 when the Speak Mandarin Campaign was launched; (b) whether the Government sees the need to review the relevance of the Chinese dialect policy in its current form; and (c) if so, what considerations will be taken into account in any such review.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Senior Minister of State Tan, you will be taking Question Nos 6 to 12?
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Yes, Sir.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Please proceed.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Mr Speaker, my response will cover the questions raised by Mr Cai Yinzhou, Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Kenneth Tiong, Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Dennis Tan, Ms Valerie Lee, Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Dr Neo Kok Beng in today's Order Paper, as well as related questions by Mr Darryl David1 and Ms Mariam Jaafar2 for subsequent Sittings. If Members are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Guidelines on language use in media are implemented by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). They support the Government's longstanding policy to promote Mandarin as one of four official languages and have generally served us well. However, as noted in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's (MCCY's) earlier reply today, Singapore's language environment has evolved. Recognising this, in implementing the guidelines, IMDA has exercised greater flexibility to allow more dialect content in films.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Each year, around 30 to 40 dialect films are screened at film festivals. At the same time, IMDA has allowed unrestricted screenings of films with substantial use of dialect, such as "881", "Long Long Time Ago" and "Wonderland". For the film "Dear You", IMDA has approved a total of 272 screenings of the Teochew version and is prepared to approve additional screenings should the film distributor request them in response to audience demand.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Beyond these implementation changes, several Members have called for the guidelines themselves to be reviewed. We recognise that the circumstances have changed since the guidelines were first introduced. There is, therefore, scope to consider how we can expand the space for dialects, while continuing to uphold the importance of Mandarin. In doing so, we should also take into account the different media platforms. For example, there are no dialect restrictions for arts performances or content available on the Internet and online streaming services. On free-to-air television and radio, we believe that Mandarin should continue to be the mainstay. For cinemas, we are prepared to allow more screenings of dialect-language films, so as to provide audiences with greater access to such content. We appreciate the feedback from Members and will carefully consider what further steps are appropriate.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Mr Cai Yinzhou.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Thank you, Speaker. I would like to declare my interest as Advisor to Chinatown Heritage Centre, an attraction referencing 1950s' Singapore, with our exhibits featuring dialect content. "Parasite" sparked conversations on inequality. "How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies" spurred end-of-life conversations. "Dear You" has renewed interest in the sacrifices of our forefathers and personal heritage. Locally, "Parasite" screened close to 12,000 sessions. "How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies" around 5,000. "Dear You", in Mandarin, 2,570; while its Teochew version, the original, a mere 126 public screenings as of early-July.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release My first question to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) is, today, cinema is the only mainstream medium in Singapore where Chinese dialect content is restricted. Over-the-top (OTT) streaming on social media platforms and YouTube all already carry dialect content without equivalent restrictions. Should cinema remain subject to the campaign's dialect restriction rationale?
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release There is also a commercial case, our cinema operators have been under real pressure. "Dear You" shows that original dialect programming can be an asset, not a niche indulgence. "Dear You" has drawn families off their sofas and back into theatres, together across generations, including older Singaporeans, who, otherwise, might not step into a cinema at all. Would the Ministry go further in the review to consider removing this default restriction? In Mandarin, please.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release (In Mandarin): As the saying goes, "The master leads you through the door, but the practice is yours to pursue." Yet dialect arts face a more fundamental problem today – the masters are growing old and no young people are walking through that door. Dialect artists are gradually passing on, with no one to carry the torch, and the flame risks being extinguished. What concrete plans does the MCCY have to support the preservation of dialect arts and ensure that they continue to thrive in Singapore?
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Mandarin is the bridge that connects us in society. Dialect is what connects us, heart to heart, with our grandparents at home.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Sir, I thank the Member for his clarifications on the review of the use of dialect in cinema and films. As I have explained in my reply, we are getting feedback from different parties – industry stakeholders and community partners. We appreciate and welcome the conversations that have arisen from the "Dear You" screening.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Actually, just yesterday, I had a screening in my constituency for my residents – one theatre in Teochew, one theatre in Mandarin. I went by, spoke to my residents before my Meet-the-People Session.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release It was very interesting. For the Teochew hall, almost all seniors, maybe some of the middle-aged people, like me, were there. Some were there because they wanted to hear the original Teochew dialect, some had watched the Mandarin one and wanted to hear the Teochew one. When I went to the Mandarin hall, it was very interesting. Some had actually watched the Teochew one and wanted to watch the Mandarin one because they could not quite understand the Teochew dialect, especially for non-Teochew speaking or non-native-Teochew speaking individuals.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release But in addition to seniors, I was very pleasantly surprised to see many young people – children, secondary school, even primary school. They were there, accompanying their grandparents, parents and it was very good to see that it was a family affair. The young people, when I spoke to them, wanted to understand more about the environment in which their great-grandparents or grandparents had lived through in the early days of Independence.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release The Member talked about screening of the original Teochew dialect of the film being popular. We have said that we will provide flexibility and we will continue to provide flexibility, in fact, the number that the Member cited has been updated in my reply, I said, 272, if the Member listened carefully just now. The film distributor knows that we will continue to provide flexibility.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release So, in practice, if the film distributor feels that audience demand is there for the Teochew original film, we will provide flexibility. But more importantly, having a Mandarin version creates a bigger access to many more audiences in Singapore. Not just those who are speaking the dialect, especially our young people. So, there is value in having a Mandarin version of the film, in addition to being aligned with our broader language policy.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release The Member mentioned OTT platforms, Internet streaming for example. Different platforms have, historically, been regulated differently based on different reach of audiences. Cinemas, being a public-regulated exhibition space in Singapore, ought to be seen closer to mainstream media. Having said that, as I have explained in my reply, we appreciate that the language environment has changed and we are prepared to see how we can expand access to dialect movies as we undertake our review.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Sir, I would just add that, over the years, it is not as if our guidelines have been static. We have been updating it, refining it, adapting them – for example, providing more flexibility of dialect use in films and in some of the mainstream radio stations and television channels. So, our policy, whilst remaining true to the policy intent of the larger language policy in Singapore, the implementation of it has evolved, has been flexible, pragmatic, taking into consideration the language environment. I mentioned earlier in my reply, some of the local movies, like "881", have substantive dialect content in the film. We look at the historical context, the heritage value and if it reflects Singapore stories. IMDA has taken a flexible, pragmatic approach and we will continue to do so.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Ms Eileen Chong. Sorry, Minister David Neo.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Mr Speaker, to answer the Mandarin portion of the Member's question and in the spirit of the Speak Mandarin Campaign, if you would allow me to take this supplementary question in Mandarin.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release (In Mandarin): Chinese dialect art forms are an important part of the traditional arts. Over the years, the National Arts Council (NAC) has nurtured and supported Chinese dialect art forms through funding arts groups and help them engage audiences. For instance, NAC funds the Traditional Arts Centre (Singapore), which encourages the younger generation to engage with Chinese opera in different dialects.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release NAC also invests in the next generation of dialect art form practitioners through scholarships. For example, NAC supported Tan Wei Tian, a young Chinese Opera artist, who has performed with Nam Hwa Opera from a young age, to pursue a Bachelor’s in Chinese Opera Performing at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in China in 2024.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Last year, NAC and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre co-presented the inaugural Chinese Opera Festival, featuring five local troupes performing across different opera styles. In 2025 alone, NAC funded 10 productions, spanning Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese and Hainanese opera. In addition, several productions of Chinese dialect art forms are on SG Culture Pass, connecting Singaporeans to our distinctive heritage and culture.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release We will continue to expand the space for our Chinese dialect art forms and nurture the next generation of practitioners.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release I see quite a few hands, and we do have around 130 Parliamentary Questions. I would like to get as many questions as possible answered.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Just now, Mr Cai, I must say that the asking of your supplementary question was a bit too long. You went a little bit into a mini-speech and I almost stopped you. But it is a good negative example of what I hope not to see going forward. Ms Eileen Chong.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am very heartened to hear Senior Minister of State Tan confirm that IMDA is indeed looking to expand space for dialects while upholding Mandarin. I am also very heartened to hear Minister Neo then respond to this by saying that dialects are no longer seen in competition with Mandarin. In fact, they play a role in deepening cultural appreciation of our Chinese heritage.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release I would like to echo the Promote Mandarin Council's position that we do not need to pick sides between Mandarin and dialects. So, I would like to ask whether MCCY will be working with IMDA to review the relevance of the policy, which still requires permission for us to screen dialect films. Instead of trying to see where we can exercise more flexibility, why not consider offering the freedom of simply just screening these dialect films? Because if dialect is always the one that requires permission, then have we not already chosen a side?
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for her support. As I explained earlier, MCCY and MDDI are open to ideas about how can we preserve dialect cultures while upholding the importance of Mandarin, and we will continue to take in all the feedback and consider carefully the appropriate next steps on how to do this well.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Mr Dennis Tan.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have raised issues relating to the preservation and use of dialects in this House several times in the past, including requests to lift the broadcast ban. Indeed, I am heartened to hear the Ministers speaking on this.
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release In my view, the main competitor to Mandarin today is not dialect, but English. I would like to ask the Government: given that the media is the primary vehicle for youth cultural engagement, whether either Ministry agrees to review the lifting of the 1981 dialect broadcast restrictions to allow meaningful dialect-rich content that connects young Singaporeans to their grandparents, to their family and importantly, to their cultural heritage?
Proposal to Review Decision for "Dear You" Film to be Dubbed in Mandarin for General Commercial Release And I say this, as I said before, we are reaching a tipping point with an ageing population, younger generation with limited exposure to dialects. And once this culture and heritage die off, there is no way of rebuilding. I would therefore like to ask the Government to really consider putting more effort to work with the clans and other civic groups to promote our dialect heritage.